Bank of Ireland has reported that its fraud prevention team received over 10,000 calls from customers during the peak holiday period spanning from Monday, December 23 to Sunday, December 29. Notably, more than 550 calls came in on Christmas Day alone.
During this busy time, the highest volume of calls was recorded on December 23 with over 2,800 calls, followed by December 27 with 1,734 calls and over 1,100 calls received on St. Stephen’s Day. New Year’s Day 2025 was also busy, resulting in just over 1,300 calls to the team.
Customers reach out for various reasons, such as identifying unrecognized transactions on their accounts or cards, reporting contact with a suspected fraudster via text, call, or social media, lost cards, or concerns about potentially sharing confidential banking information.
Susan Russell, Chief Executive Officer of Retail Ireland at Bank of Ireland, stated, “Fraudsters never take a break and are always on. That’s why we offer a 24/7 telephone line for fraud and security support. As these figures show, customers aren’t just concerned about fraud during business hours. They can spot something worrying or fall victim to an attempted fraud at any time of the year. When that occurs, they can call us any time for fraud and security assistance.”
In light of the situation, the Irish Government has committed to establishing a shared fraud database among financial institutions, utility companies, and payment providers, as scammers reportedly stole nearly €100 million in 2023.